“Choo-choo” Past Appalachia
Posted by Vriz on April 24th, 2008
Sen. McCain visited Martin County, KY on the third day of his “It’s Time for Action Tour.” He stopped to deliver his remarks in the town of Inez, where President Lyndon Johnson kicked off his War on Poverty in 1964.
McCain acknowledged the persistent economic difficulties in this area: Martin county median household income is $22,768, with over 30% living below the poverty line. And, just like he did in Michigan, McCain told the residents of Inez who gathered to hear him speak that the “manufacturing jobs are gone forever.”
Inexplicably, McCain focused majority of his discussion about how to help this distressed Appalachian area on providing broader access to high-speed internet services. The Senator is talking about a county of just more than 12,000 where many residents still lack access to sewer systems and public water. The high school dropout rates are higher than in the rest of the state, the county lost almost 4% of its population, while Kentucky gained over 4% in the span of 6 years, and the young people are leaving because there isn’t any future for them in towns like Inez.
Was McCain’s “straight-talk express” going by Inez too fast? That must be it, because his proposals once again failed to match the reality on the ground.
May 13th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Thank You for the information. There is more to this business, as in the global mess. Sure, there is China this and China that! Are not the multinationals in China. These products coming back at us isn’t China technology, but American made products made in China. The imbalance of payments is a Multinational / American / China thing. Without getting into particulars, this whole business is a money thing, and it doesn’t help the American people.